It is well known that all plants require water for growth and sustenance. It is also well known that excessive or inadequate water in and around the root area of a plant can be damaging and even deadly to a plant. For instance, many trees die because of root drowning--especially when the soil where the plants are planted is primarily clay type. In order to reduce and/or eliminate the risk of root drowning, drain holes are usually dug at the bottom of a planting pit to help drain and divert water away from the roots. Typically, these holes range from about 5 to 10 feet in depth. In cases where the soil contains a high concentration of clay, no matter how deep the drain holes are dug, once they are filled with water, without a place to be discharged, the water usually remains in the root area. As a result, the remaining water gradually rots the roots and eventually kills the plant.
Since the root system of plants is not visible, it is very difficult to determine the exact or desirable moisture conditions in the area of the roots. These conditions generally depend upon the nature and type of the soil, the natural water table, the amount of natural rainfall and the amount of additional water supplied. Because of these variable conditions, individuals, especially ones without a great deal of nursery or landscaping experience, oftentimes are unable to properly determine and maintain the optimum moisture conditions in the soil necessary to (1) prevent planted plants from either drowning or dehydrating and (2) promote the healthy growth of these plants. As a result, many valuable plants have been lost.
A variety of devices and/or systems have been created in order to help measure and/or control water levels in the ground, especially in areas where plants are being grown. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,613,360 to Rynberk discloses a water level indicating and control construction adapted to be forced into the ground for adding or removing water depending on the water level detected by the construction. Rynberk shows a construction comprising an outer tubular member having an open bottom end and additional openings formed at spaced intervals along the length thereof. An inner tubular member with a removable closure means located at its top end is slidably received within the outer tubular member. The inner tubular member serves as a dipstick to indicate the water level in the area surrounding the construction and as a suction device for removing water when the water level gets too high. One problem with the device of Rynberk is that by the time water has accumulated in the outer tubular member, the area surrounding the roots may already be saturated with enough water to drown the plant. Another problem is that installing the device of Rynberk may be difficult since the device must be forced into the ground a sufficient distance to cover an area having roots. During installation, the device may become damaged or parts may become clogged. Also during installation, roots may become damaged or severed by forcing the device of Rynberk into the ground.
There continues to be a need for a device which is able to effectively measure and control the level of water in and about the root area(s) of planted plants in order to help these plants grow healthy and prevent them from drowning and desiccating. There also is a need for a device which can be easily and inexpensively installed. In addition, it is desirable to provide a device which requires one to dig only a single drain hole having a depth of about two feet beyond planting pit.